MURRELLS INLET, SC (WBTW) – A local doctor says he’s created a way to make hoverboards safer for your kids to use.
In the last year, retailers pulled electric scooters off their websites after they started dozens of fires.
Beyond the fire hazards the US Consumer Product Safety Commission says there are no safety standards for the device and expanded its investigation to include falls.
“Lots of people were falling,” said Dr. Jason Rosenberg, a full-time physician in Murrells Inlet.
“My friends in the emergency department were treating many people a day,” said Dr. Rosenberg.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates doctors saw more than 15,000 hoverboard related injuries in emergency rooms last year.
“As a neurologist, I thought maybe there’s a safer way to do this,” said Dr. Rosenberg.
Dr. Rosenberg had never tried his hand at inventing so reached out to his friend, Rob Honeycutt, a safety product manufacturer in Georgetown County to lend a hand.
“And he helped me come up with the Frankenstein to Ferrari concept,” said Dr. Rosenberg.
“Honestly we’ve been successful in other endeavors so at this point it’s about keeping kids safe and out of the emergency room,” said Honeycutt.
They went through many variations of the design before settling on what they call Hoverbars; aluminum handlebars and safety wheels that can be added to hoverboards.
“We like to think they’re cooler than training wheels, but it makes me as a parent feel a whole lot better when my children get on this,” said Dr. Rosenberg.
The setup can be adjusted for riders to make it a bit safer for kids like 11-year-old Rachael Neill.
“I thought the bars were much easier, because I remember with my friend one time, she was trying to teach me how to use it and I couldn’t do it without her helping me balance; but with the bars it was much easier,” said Neill.
Dr. Rosenberg says he was inspired because an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Hoverbars are patented and not associated with the hoverboard electric scooters.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Dr. Rosenberg urge anyone using hoverboards to also wear safety gear.
For more on Hoverbars, you can check out their website and kickstarter page.